A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. On the way to Jerusalem [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” ( Luke 17:11–19).   Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Every year, the Gospel reading for Thanksgiving is the cleansing of the ten lepers. That’s unfortunate, for there are many Gospel read...

"The Healing of the Ten Lepers" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth ( 1 Timothy 2:1–4). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Thankfulness is to be the general spirit of the season. To cultivate this virtue, some people have joined a challenge on social media to share each day something they are thankful for. The lists often include things like good health, a fulfilling career, and loving family, and those are all good blessings. But what about the person who doesn’t have those things? Do they have nothing for which to give thanks to God or bless His ho...

"The Healing of the Ten Lepers" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. On the way to Jerusalem [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” ( Luke 17:11–19).  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Every year, the appointed Gospel reading for Thanksgiving is the cleansing of the...

"The Healing of the Ten Lepers" by James I Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “ Then one of [the lepers], when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:15-18). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! It’s hard to bow down with a full belly. Pregnant women coming to the communion rail know this. Middle-aged men trying to pick up a scrap of paper from the floor know this. And on days like tomorrow (today), with Thanksgiving dinners, there will be a lot more people who experience this firsthand. But that’s just from the physical aspect. I would submit to you that it’s hard to bow down spiritually ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Or here. “And when [Jesus] saw them He said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14). Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! A funny thing happened on the way to the temple. Not “funny” in a humorous sort of way, but “funny” in the sense of peculiar, unexpected. On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passes between Samaria and Galilee. As He enters a village, ten lepers come out to meet Him. Well, not exactly “meet him.” They stand at a distance. You see, leprosy is a terrible disease, so contagious that its victims are quarantined until death. They have to leave their families, friends, homes, and livelihoods to spend their last painfully dying days isolated in the wilderness. And if anyone walks toward them, the law demands they warn them away. Logically, such a quarantine also means a leper isn’t able to go to the temple of the Lord for worship and sacrif...